Woody Paige

Paige: Own up to it, Rockies: Firing line in order

José Abreu would be an excellent successor to Todd Helton — if only the Rockies would cough up the money.

When Todd Helton dramatically sledgehammered his final home run at Coors Field in the second inning Wednesday, in the tradition of old West good guys, he should have gotten on his new horse and ridden off into the sun that, literally, was setting over the Rockies ... and the Rockies.

Toddy Ballgame's work was done here. He can't save the Rox from themselves anymore.

The Boys of Scummier have clinched last place again.

Because of Todd's retirement after a Hall of Fame-certified career — and the supreme early-season excellence of Peyton Manning, who was in the dugout to share the glorious goodbye of his close friend — nobody is paying attention to consecutive 15-5 and 11-0 defeats and yet another Rox slide into oblivion.

For the 10th time in Helton's 17 seasons (and ninth in the past 13), the Rockies have lost 88 or more games. Only twice were the Rockies worthy of Todd.

The Rockies owed Todd considerably more than — how appropriate from this franchise — a gelding.

The presiding partner of the Monfort Bros. ownership, Dick, will blame injuries for the Rockies' demise. They had injuries, but so did every other team. It must be pointed out that the Rockies also had 14 pitchers with losing records, including five starters who were a combined 1-21.

The Reign of Terrible persists.

However, the Rockies despise criticizers, condemners, chastisers and truth-tellers. Our purpose is to serve as cheerleaders — like the colorful cartoon characters on the radio and TV broadcasts.

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Everybody recognizes the solutions: Spend some money, sign free agents, draft better, fire the general manager and his lackey, sell the franchise.

I know what the solution isn't. The Rockies will receive a significant bump in national TV revenues to $54 million in 2014. The team intends to waste a substantial amount of the increase on renovations — a party deck! — in the right-field seating sections, which are rarely occupied. Why not just cover those areas in tarpaulins — as the Marlins used to, and the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars still do? Be sure to install a pool so the Dodgers can celebrate the division championship next Sept. 17?

If the Rockies would win the National League West for the first time in club history, people actually would fill the stadium.

The Monforts won't ever sell. But Dick Monfort should fire himself as CEO. Dick convincingly has proven he is not a baseball expert. He should sign checks, sit behind the dugout and be a fan.

He must try to hire Andrew Friedman, executive vice president of the Rays, as the Rox CEO and head of all baseball operations. Under Friedman, operating with a meager payroll $15 million less than the Rockies' $73 million this season, the Rays have finished with 90 or more victories in five of the past six seasons. To pry him from the Rays, the Rox could give him Helton's $5 million salary.

Friedman's first decision would be the most obvious and logical — the firing of Dan O'Dowd, Bill Geivett and the other incompetent vice presidents.

Raise the Rockies' payroll to $90 million — equal to the Diamondbacks'. The Rockies are in the top 10 in attendance and the bottom eight in salary.

Bring in one quality top-of-the-rotation starter and one exceptional free-agent position player with the extra TV money.

The Rockies should immediately sign José Abreu, the latest, and possibly greatest, Cuban defector. The 26-year-old first baseman was declared a free agent by Major League Baseball on Saturday. He bolted from Cuba this year and has established residency in Haiti. He will have two open tryouts in the Dominican Republic next week, and is expected to collect a loftier contract than Yasiel Puig's $42 million deal.

In 2010-11, Abreu hit .453 with 33 home runs and 93 RBIs in 66 games in the Cuban league. He hit .524 in the Pan American Games and .442 in the Baseball World Cup. Last season with Cienfuegos, his numbers were .394, 35, 99.

The right-handed slugger is a perfect successor to Andres Galarraga and Helton, the only everyday first basemen in Rockies history.

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